Our Story
Getting Started
Barnabas School of Leadership was founded by Rowland and Elaine Forman from
Auckland, New Zealand, who have served together in ministry for more than 50 years.
Rowland has served as a mentor-coach, educator, pastor, church-planter,
and Bible College principal, all with Elaine by his side.
By the time he attended the Global Proclamation Congress (GPro) in 2016 in Bangkok,
Rowland had already begun travelling to Myanmar to train small groups of pastors.
At GPro, he was confronted with the startling and disturbing reality that the gospel
is flourishing in parts of Asia, Africa and South America, and yet only 5% of pastors
in these areas ever receive any form of biblical training.
In response to this huge challenge, Barnabas School of Leadership was launched
in New Zealand to play a small part in meeting this global need.
Growing Influence
Since it's launch in 2016, BSL has grown to the point where we now serve in 8 countries in the Majority World.
We have been working since 2016 in the Asian countries of Myanmar and Nepal, while in Africa
we are well established in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
More recently we have launched BSL in Kenya, Uganda, and in 2024, the west African nation of Sierra Leone.
We continue to receive expressions of interest from a number of other countries.
Barnabas School of Leadership has impacted Zimbabwe and Africa
with the training of servant leadership ...
Lives have been transformed, people have changed,
and they have stepped up in leadership.
BSL is having an impact.
Pastor Leonard Skumba, BSL Africa Director
The Covid global pandemic in 2020 forced the leadership of BSL
to pivot in a significant way. Rather than Rowland and Elaine travelling
to different nations to run modules, the lockdowns encouraged the BSL team
to hand over the organisation and teaching of modules to
indigenous leaders in each country.
Rowland had already instigated the appointment of a local BSL graduate
as the National Director in each nation, along with a team of "Master-Trainers" and, in some cases, a local board. With international travel stopping
for a few years, these leaders now took responsibility for the teaching
and mentoring of church leaders in the program, with support
as needed from New Zealand.
Today, these godly servant-leaders continue to provide overall leadership of BSL
in their respective countries, and are the backbone of our ministry.
At the beginning of 2024, another baton was passed as Rowland handed over
the primary leadership of BSL to another New Zealand pastor and leader,
Brad Carr. Brad is married to Rowland and Elaine's daughter, Rochelle,
and has served alongside Rowland and Elaine both as their pastor
and a co-labourer in various other ministries in New Zealand.
Brad now provides day-to-day leadership to our ministry, alongside
the International Board where Rowland still serves as our Founder/Mentor.
Passing the Baton
For more information about our National Directors, the International Team,
and the BSL International Board, click here or go to the "Our Team" tab.